Hinged clamp for gas or liquid-proof housings



1 June 16, 1931. A. H. BAKKEN 1,810,066

HINGED CLAMP FOR GAS OR LIQUID PROOF HOUSING'S Filed Nov. 6, 1928 ZSheets-Shee I INVENTOR A ndrew HBakkez'v.

ATTORNEY June 16, 1931, BAKKEN 1,810,066

HINGED CLAMP FOR GAS OR LIQUID PROOF HOUSINGS Filed Nov. 6. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3,

INVENTOR Andrew HBa/Uen.

ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1931 Llhttt rarer-tr eats ELECTRIC dz MANUFACTURING CGMPANY, A CGBEOEATIQN OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HINGEID GLJAllIIP FOR GAS 0R LIQUID-E1500]? HOUSING-S Application filed. November 6, 1928. Serial No. 317,623.

My invention relates to clamping devices and particularly to clamping devices for housings enclosing electrical apparatus and the like.

@ne object of my invention is to provide a clamping structure for a water-tight housing that shall be cheap to manufacture, simpie to manipulate and integral with the housing to prevent loss or misplacementof the parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a plurality of U-shaped clamps for a housing of the above-described type that shall be mounted on rods provided on the side of the housing, the clamps having apertures of greater diameter of the said rod to permit movement thereon.

A still further object or" my invention is to pivotaland lateral provide a plurality of C-clamps that shall be supported by means of a rod, througha large hole in each clamp, to a receptacle that has a cover hinged thereto, the parts of the hinge being like the clamp and rod being ar ranged to have considerable mechanical play so that both the clamps andthe cover may be moved laterally after being moved into position.

With these and oth r objects in view, the

invention comprises the novel structure, combination and arrangement of parts that V will be herein fully pointed out in the following description, taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, of a structure embodying my invention.

Figs. 2 to 5 are enlarged views of sections of the structure shown in Fig. 1, disclosing the unique construction of my invention.

M invention comprises in eneral a sub-v mersible housing 1 including a receptacle 2 that is provided with mounting members 3 for supporting the receptacle Qand the electrical apparatus mounted therein. A handle ais provided on the side of the receptacle 2 to be connected to the enclosed apparatus. The handle is shown in three positions, the two broken-line outlines indicating the oh and the on positions while the solid line outthan the diameter line indicates the neutral position of the contact members.

Terminals 5 are provided on the top and lower sides of the rece atacle 2 to provide insulated water-tight connections for thecircuit to the enclosed apparatus.

A cover 5 is supported on the receptacle 2 by a pair of hinges "I, one of which is shown 'n Fig. 8. The butt members of said hinges 7 are similar b0 the members 8 shown in Fig. 1, except that the last-mentioned members are not united to :torm a hinge but are employed as guide members to position the cover on the receptacle when moved into closed position. The hinged members 7 are illustrated in Fig. 1 as if located on the remote side of the receptacle 2, but whenever it is advantageous to have the cover open with an opposite movement, the pins of the hinges 7 may be changed to'the members 8, whereupon the butts of the present hinges 7 will function merely as guidemembers.

The receptacle 2 and the cover 6 are made of sheet material, welded at their seams to form water-tight joints. Their abutting faces are formed into flanges 9 and 11 between which a packing 12 is employed to form a seal.

In order to provide a simple and efiicient clamping system for the flanges 9 and 11, T

have devised the novel C-clamp that will now be described. A. rod 13 is provided, along each side or the flange 9, and this is employed to attach my clamping members to the housing in such a way that they cannot be clamped in skewed position on the housing. The attachment just referred to insures that the clamps will never become detached and lost when the receptacle is opened for inspection. The C-clamp 1 comprises a U-shaped mem ber 15, one end of which'has a clamping face 16 and a hole 17 of larger diameter than the rod .13 that passes therethrough. The opposite side of the U-shaped member 15 is provided with a threaded hole for the reception of an adjustable screw 18.

In order to space my clamps 14 evenly along the flanges 9 and 11 and retain them in their predetermined positions, I provide a plurality of cylinders or tubes 19 which a An slide over the rods 13 when the clamps 14: are assembled. It is desirable to have the end clamps on each of the four sides of the cover 6 located as near to the corners of the latter as possible. Such positioning of the clamps is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in which the clamps 14 are located immediately adjacent to the inner corners of the housing.

My C-clamp is particularly novel in that it is supported on the rod 13 in such manner to permit an angular movement of the C-clamp as well as a lateral movement thereon without increasing the force exerted on the rod 13 beyond that necessary for supporting the plurality of ()clarnps. This arrangement permits the C-clamps 14 to be so moved back away from the flanges 9 and 11 that the cover 6 may be opened readily. When the cover 6 is again moved to its closed position, the clamps 14 are turned to permit the screws 18 and the clamping faces 16 to slide into engagement with flanges 9 and I1. \Vhen the screws 18 screwed own against the flange 11, the contacti 9; face 16 is moved upward into engagement w'itl nan an arrangement provides a area for the surfaces 9 i a uniform pressure on the pacinn will be noted that, if tie clamps 'l closely fitted on the rod 13 that faces 16 did not bear on flange 9, pressure could only be transmitted to the 9 through red 13 and its end bearings. To provide the necessary strength and rigidity for this purpose, very bulky and clumsy construction would be necessary.

It will thus be seen that I have provioed a novel arrangement for making a submersible housing water-tight by providing a receptacle with a cover that may be hinged from either of its sides in such manner as to permit angular and lateral movement thereof and, at the same time, to provide members for guiding the cover to its closed position.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific arrangement of the part herein set forth, as various modifications thereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shal be imposed upon my invention as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A housing comprising a receptacle and acover, a rod associated with the receptacle, a plurality of clamps having holes of 'reatcr diameter therein than that of said red by which said clamps are supported to permit angular and lateral movement on said rod, an extension on each end of each clamp, the one extension having an engaging face, the other an adjustable screw, said face and said screw being adapted to clamp said cover to said receptacle, whereby the turning of the screw is adapted to draw said engaging face against said housing without applying a lateral force to said rod.

2. A housing for electrical apparatus including a receptacle and a cover, a plurality of clamps associated with the abutting edges of said receptacle and said cover, a rod for supporting the clamps and extending through holes therein, a plurality of spacers on the rod distributed between the clamps to retain them in predetermined spaced relation.

3. A housing for electrical apparatus including a receptacle and a cover, hinges for uniting the cover to the receptacle, a plurality of clamps retained by rods about, and positioned to engage, abutting flanges of the said receptacle and cover, the said clamps being also mounted for angular and lateral movement.

l. A housing for electrical apparatus including a receptacle and a cover united by hinges constructed to permit angular and lateral movement of the cover, a plurality of clamps retained by rods and supported to enabutting flanges of the said receptacle and said cover, the said clamps being also mounted for angular and lateral movement and means for spacing the clamps a predetermined amount, including a plurality of cylindrical members supported on said rods between the clamps.

5. An enclosing structure comprising a re ceptacle and a cover, hinges uniting the receptacle and cover along one side thereof in such manner as to permit the angular and lateral movement of the cover, a plurality of clamping members mounted along each side of the structure and a single member on each of the. sides for supporting the respective plurality of clamping members.

6. [in enclosing structure comprising a receptacle and a cover, hinges uniting the re ceptacle and cover along one side thereof in such manner as to permit the angular and lateral movement of the cover, clamping members provided on each side of said structure and removable supporting means for said clamping members.

7. An enclosing structure comprising a receptacle and a cover, hinges uniting the receptacle and cover along one side thereof in such manner as to permit the angular and lateral movement of the cover, clamping members provided on each side of said structure and removable supporting means for retaining the clamping members in .a predetermined position on said structure.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of October,

ANDREW H. BAKKEN. 

